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Lineup Return Sweet For Craig

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2008

TAMPA - It hasn't quite been a year since LW Ryan Craig last suited up in a regular-season game. It just feels that way for Craig.

Craig made his season debut Saturday in what was his first regular-season game since Nov. 24, 2007. After missing the first 16 games of last season with a herniated disc in his back, Craig played seven games before suffering a partial tear of the ACL and a sprain of the MCL in his left knee which cost him the rest of the season.

After entering training camp healthy - and with a two-year deal in his back pocket - Craig was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season in Prague, Czech Republic. In the team's first practice back home Oct. 8, Craig suffered a groin strain that kept him out for seven games.

"We have things going here pretty good coming off a road trip so I just want to play my game and help the team any way I can," Craig said.

Craig said the road back to playing has been long and required a commitment.

"I have to give a lot of credit to a lot of people in the organization, the trainers, they've been great with my rehab," Craig said. "When something happens you have no choice but to get better and work your way back. I think I figured that out last November where, what's done is done. Now the only thing I could focus on and use my energy on was to get better and get healthy again. That's the approach I took and it has been a long time since I played, but maybe that makes it a little more sweeter."

THE NEXT ORR?

No doubt former Lightning D Filip Kuba is as surprised as anyone that he returned to Tampa on Saturday leading the league with 11 assists by a defenseman. Kuba also set an NHL record by recording an assist in each of Ottawa's opening eight games, breaking the mark of seven previously held by Brad Park.

"I'm spending a lot of time on the power play, on the first unit, and a lot of pucks are going through me, so I guess that's one of the reasons," Kuba said following the morning skate. "I'm a little more involved than I was" with the Lightning.

Kuba, along with D Alex Picard, was sent to Ottawa in August in exchange for D Andrej Meszaros, who also played his first game against his former team Saturday.

NUTS AND BOLTS

G Mike Smith swapped his "Saw V" commemorative mask for his original mask he started the year with. The autographed Saw mask is currently going for $2,300 at www.collectsaw.com with all the proceeds going to charity. ... Referee Dave Jackson was hit by a puck in the second period but after a brief attending to by Lightning trainer Tom Mulligan remained in the game. Jackson was hit on the left elbow on a hard dump-in attempt by RW Marty St. Louis.

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